The other day my roommate sent me a link that both of us deemed fairly entertaining:
http://www.giantmicrobes.com/
Through the use of this site anyone can browse through the full catalogue of furry "giant microbes" offered and choose from a variety of options, ranging from "Bed bugs" to "Chickenpox" to "Herpes" (naming just a few). The attraction that probably draws most people here is the fact that you can type in just about any disease and will be able to find it in a brighter, more cuddly, and more fluffy representation of the microbe itself. Then, if you so choose, you can opt to give one or more friends the ailment of your choice, and from that point they can either choose to live with their new friend or give it to someone else of their choice. I personally found this site to be quite entertaining--not only is it humorous (the furry microbes even come in their own petri dish), but the products are suitable for all ages!
Even if this site doesn't exactly do the best job in educating the masses about the dangers of viral and bacterial ailments, it still offers some benefit to public health. Instead of using fear to educate, the opposite approach is taken here--the "microbes" sold are friendly, soft and inviting, asking for acceptance and love in a way very similar to that of a teddy bear. Through this strategy, children can be exposed to the concept of harmful pathogens at a very young age, and therefore at least get a good start on obtaining valuble knowledge needed to live a healthy, happy life years down the road. Also, the fact that these giant microbes actually look like the pathogens they portray helps everyone--not just children--learn more about them. Hence, the fuzzy, cuddly disease idea seems to be a good one (at least when it comes to this site's business). It gets the word out in a very light-hearted way--especially since so many people in today's day and age turn to the internet for their primary source of information--and I, for one, approve!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
President Clinton Apologizes for Tuskegee Study
The speech given by President Bill Clinton on May 16th, 1997 was a long time coming, but it was necessary, none the less. During his public appearance, President Clinton acknowledged several people in the vicinity, one by one, that had been wronged throughout the course of the 40-year Tuskegee Study. As far as we know, the president did not hold back on presenting the gruesome details of the study to the crowd standing before him, and made sure everyone that had been affected knew that he, along with the rest of the nation, was truly sorry. Clinton made it clear the hundreds of African American men that were deceived into thinking they had found hope in the form of free treatment had been wronged, and on so many levels at that. Not only were these men used as subjects for unethical research without their knowledge and consent, but they were also denied proper (and much needed) Syphilis treatment even after a cure had been discovered. What's more, Clinton claimed the Tuskegee Study had resulted in a massive loss of trust in the United States government when it came to the African American population. He emphasized the fact that what occured in the study is NOT what we as a nation stand for; to make it certain he would do everything in his power to prevent history from repeating itself, he proposed a series of steps that would serve to educate, regulate, and hopefully regain a valuble trust in the government for all US citizens.
Clinton's decision to make a public apology was a wise one. By no means does his speech justify the deceit and manipulation that took place during the Tuskegee Study, but at least it's a start to creating a better America in the long run. Through acknowledging our mistakes we can learn from them and grow from them, and hopefully as a result our nation will become more unified in the process. No doubt even now, in 2009, the emotional turmoil resulting from the study continues to resonate in the hearts of families affected, and will most likely remain in place for years to come. It appears forgetting the affair has become inevitable--but will the same ever be said when it comes to granting forgiveness?
Clinton's decision to make a public apology was a wise one. By no means does his speech justify the deceit and manipulation that took place during the Tuskegee Study, but at least it's a start to creating a better America in the long run. Through acknowledging our mistakes we can learn from them and grow from them, and hopefully as a result our nation will become more unified in the process. No doubt even now, in 2009, the emotional turmoil resulting from the study continues to resonate in the hearts of families affected, and will most likely remain in place for years to come. It appears forgetting the affair has become inevitable--but will the same ever be said when it comes to granting forgiveness?
Monday, January 19, 2009
MDR TB - A Global Epidemic?
In November of 2008, an aricle was released to the public on new and emerging infectious diseases of today. The main ailment discussed was MDR TB--rather, Multi-Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis--which, according to doctors, is a new strand of the traditional, fairly easy-to-treat TB. MDR TB is resistant to the two drugs most commonly used to treat this disease, and as a result it can take up to four times as long to cure and the treatments that must be used instead are more costly and more toxic to the human body. What's more, the rate at which cases of the new strand are occuring is somewhat alarming, but at the same time not all that surprising considering MDR TB is just as contagious as traditional TB. Therefore, we need to do everything in our power to prevent further spread--we're not careful, we may have a global epidemic on our hands!
Like all organisms on Earth, germs are constantly multiplying and mutating in an attempt to make their race stronger. Thus, it makes sense that if a mutation occurs in a pathogen allowing it to become stronger and more resistant to certain drugs, it will be more likely to survive and reproduce in the future. With this knowledge in mind doctors are theorizing that MDR TB is a manmade ailment, in that many people will simply stop taking their antiboitics before the prescribed dosage is complete because they don't feel sick anymore. This, in fact, is a huge mistake, for it allows more of the stronger TB cells to multiply while the immune system is busy fighting off the remaining pathogens that would have been killed by antibiotics, and, in the long run, leads to new diseases like MDR TB that are much harder to get rid of. To solve this problem, most doctors are now highly recommending directly-observed treatment (DOT) with TB cases so as to make sure the patient takes ALL of their medication and prevents any further mutations of the strain...but this action is very expensive and can only do so much.
In recent years TB hasn't been much of a threat to our society here in the US, thanks to our decent healthcare and education system. However, the world is small and things could change quickly if we don't act to prevent. Within the last five years there have already been several cases of MDR TB in the United States, brought from Thailand to California when refugees decided to relocate from overseas. The CDC is working hard to keep the "outbreak" under control, but we all must be cautious. MDR TB could appear anywhere in the world unexpectedly--therefore, we are ALL at risk! One good thing that's come of this new strain is that doctors and patients alike are working harder to make sure the FULL dosage of antibiotics is taken when prescribed. What's more, general knowledge of TB in the United States seems to be increasing over time. If we all work together and take care of ourselves and loved ones, we should be able to MDR TB in its tracks--seems like a good thing to strive for in 2009, yeah?
Like all organisms on Earth, germs are constantly multiplying and mutating in an attempt to make their race stronger. Thus, it makes sense that if a mutation occurs in a pathogen allowing it to become stronger and more resistant to certain drugs, it will be more likely to survive and reproduce in the future. With this knowledge in mind doctors are theorizing that MDR TB is a manmade ailment, in that many people will simply stop taking their antiboitics before the prescribed dosage is complete because they don't feel sick anymore. This, in fact, is a huge mistake, for it allows more of the stronger TB cells to multiply while the immune system is busy fighting off the remaining pathogens that would have been killed by antibiotics, and, in the long run, leads to new diseases like MDR TB that are much harder to get rid of. To solve this problem, most doctors are now highly recommending directly-observed treatment (DOT) with TB cases so as to make sure the patient takes ALL of their medication and prevents any further mutations of the strain...but this action is very expensive and can only do so much.
In recent years TB hasn't been much of a threat to our society here in the US, thanks to our decent healthcare and education system. However, the world is small and things could change quickly if we don't act to prevent. Within the last five years there have already been several cases of MDR TB in the United States, brought from Thailand to California when refugees decided to relocate from overseas. The CDC is working hard to keep the "outbreak" under control, but we all must be cautious. MDR TB could appear anywhere in the world unexpectedly--therefore, we are ALL at risk! One good thing that's come of this new strain is that doctors and patients alike are working harder to make sure the FULL dosage of antibiotics is taken when prescribed. What's more, general knowledge of TB in the United States seems to be increasing over time. If we all work together and take care of ourselves and loved ones, we should be able to MDR TB in its tracks--seems like a good thing to strive for in 2009, yeah?
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